The Water Rose Mage
by PureElement
Summary: Used to be Queen of the Deadly Rose! The leader of an L.a. gang falls into Tortall, mortally wounded. Once there, will she learn to be at peace with her past, or will she not rest till she's home? Meanwhile, there's a plot for the throne.
1. Tortall

I do NOT under any circumstances own the Tortall books, or any of the characters in them, though I wish I did.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Gunfire rang in her ears as she lay there helpless. There was nothing more to do, the only option left was to just give up and die. She grimaced, thinking about the bullet wound she had received in her abdomen. It hurt, but the pain was slowly becoming duller, just like her sight and hearing. Her mind blurred as the darkness crept up on it. She sighed, just letting death come.

Ana-Mara Julio was a queen; but not in the sense we think of queens being. No, she was the queen of a gang. The very feared gang called 'The Deadly Rose'. She had done terrible things to get to that position. For a while she felt amazingly guilty for the crimes she had committed, but after a few years, she just stopped feeling. She had never wanted the life of a gangster, but growing up where she did, in the poor areas of L.A., she had little choice. Her older brother had entered the gang scene and then pulled her into it. She didn't love her life, and she didn't hate it either. She liked the adrenaline rush she got when preparing to face down Ninth Street or jacking a record number of cars in one night. Tonight had been one of those nights. An adventure night, but it had turned out a nightmare. Somehow Ninth Street had found out and set a trap. Of course both gangs started firing. Ninth Street because the Deadly Rose had figured it out so fast and the Deadly Rose because they were pissed at Ninth Street.

Mara felt her life slip away as she heard sirens turning the corner. A silver mist enveloped her as her breath caught and stopped.

IN TORTALL

Alanna sighed; she hated balls with passion. She sighed again, not knowing her night was about to get a lot more interesting. Suddenly a silver mist entered the center of the room. Slowly it disappeared, leaving a body in it wake. The red haired knight pushed through the crowd to get to it. When she reached it she stopped dead. There was a girl lying there. She wore strange cloths and had a strange piece of metal in her hand. Her black hair covered her face, showing only bits and pieces of the tan skin under it.

The girl stood up slowly. Some of the ladies screamed. She took a step towards Alanna, but stumbled, falling to her knees. She stood up once again, clutching her hand to her stomach. Only then did Alanna notice the horrific amount of blood pouring out from between her fingers.

"Help. Please, help." the girl whispered hoarsely. Then she fell again. By now the the knight had had gotten over her shock and rushed to the girl's side, hands glowing purple and she fought to save her life.

When Mara woke up she was staring at a white ceiling lying on a soft comfortable bed. _I must be in heaven._ She thought. Someone leaned over her and she found herself staring into an unnerving purple.

"Well hello. You've been out for sometime now. Thought we'd loose you for a while there." a lady's voice said. "Hey, Baird! The girls woken up!" An older man walked up.

"Good day, miss..." he trailed off, not knowing her name. Mara sat up, ignoring the pain that shot through her.

"Ana-Mara Julio, Queen of the Deadly Rose. Bu', ya can call me Mara fo' short." she answered, her spanish accent thick.

"What's the Deadly Rose?" the purple eyed lady asked.

"It's the gang I'm in." Mara answered simply. Baird's eyes widened a little bit at that.

"Oh, forgive us. We haven't introduced our selves yet. This is the chief palace healer, Duke Baird of Queenscove. And I'm Lady Knight, Alanna of Pirates Swoop and Olua."

"You're a knight?" Mara sputtered. Alana nodded, amused. "I thought girls couldn't become knights."

"Well, they didn't know I was a girl while training." _Oh. Well, that answers that._ Mara concluded.

Now Duke Baird stepped in. "Miss Mara, you need to be getting some rest. You just about died. Luckily Alanna's magic reserves were full and I was here. Now get some rest." he said sternly.

Mara nodded, then realized what he had said. "Wait, magic?" she whispered as sleep pulled her into it's dark ocean.


	2. Jonathan and Eda Bell

Chapter 2 

ALANNA'S POV

Alanna watched the girl sleep in a seemingly restful peace. She studied the girl for the first time. She had light tan skin and black hair. Full dark lips complimented the dark eyes that were now hidden. Alanna couldn't help but wonder about this girl. She said she was the queen of a gang, but yet she knew of no gang called the Deadly Rose. She shook her head bewildered, she was entirely and utterly confused. The girl didn't carry any weapons, but did carry strange pieces of metal. Maybe she had magic. No, the girl had said the word like she had no idea what it even was. Then there was her wound; it had a small bit of metal in it and Alanna guessed that was what caused it. She stood up, she would get her answers later, but right now she had to report to Jon.

MARA'S POV

Once again Mara woke up staring at a white ceiling, a soft pillow under her head. She smiled and snuggled deeper into it, only to bolt up.

"Okay, where am I?" she said quietly to herself. Throwing back the cover on her bed she she got up. Her feet met a cold stone floor. Her eyes roamed the room, alighting on many, very old fashioned, things. _Uhg, _she thought _it's like I've traveled back to the medieval times._ She then stopped short, remembering the two people she had talked to before drifting back into sleep. _Oh, my god! Duke Baird? Lady Knight, Alanna?!_

"Oh, SHIT!" she screamed. The door burst open and there stood Alanna.

"Oh, good. You're awake. Are you feeling alright?" Mara nodded "Okay then. Lets get you dressed and off to see the king." Alanna walked to the closet and pulled out a wine red dress and black bodice.

"Whoa! What?! You are not getting me into that thing! I _don't_ do dresses." Alanna gawked at her "What? I don't see you wearing a dress. Now if I can have my clothes and weapons back please, that'd be great." The lady knight looked quizzically at her.

"Weapons?" she asked "What weapons?"

"Oh, God damnit. Here just give me back my stuff and I'll show you."

"You're clothes are covered in blood. You're blood." Mara flinched. "And, I don't know exactly who you are and whether or not you'll hurt my king, so you may not have you're weapons back. But, I'll see if I can find you some breeches and a shirt."

"Fine. Thank you."

Ten minutes later Mara stood outside the king's door in black breeches, a creamy shirt (sleeveless, Mara had ripped the sleeves of, much to Alanna's surprise) and brown, knee high boots. The door opened and Alanna ushered Mara in. Behind a desk sat the most handsome man Mara had ever met. Black hair and intelligently snapping sapphire eyes graced the man she assumed was the king.

Alanna spoke up. "Jon, this is Ana-Mara Julio, Queen of the Deadly Rose Gang."

"Ah, I see. Please have a seat, Miss Julio."

"Call me, Mara and as for the seat, no thank you."

"Err, Mara? This is Jonathan of Conte, the _King _of Tortall." Alanna told her.

"I know. I'm not an idiot. He carries himself just like Rodrigous." Two pairs of eyes, one blue, one purple stared at her. "Rodrigous is my boyfriend, he's also the King of the Deadly Rose. But, he doesn't have more power than me." Thinking of her love, Mara started to cry. This startled Alanna and Jon, the girl seemed so strong.

"Mara, what's wrong?" Jon inquired.

"I'll probably never see him again. Everyone probably thinks I've been dragged off and killed by Ninth Street. I can't live without him!" Mara looked up, eyes full of panic and fear "Please, just give me back my guns and I'll leave! I'll go away and find a way home! Just give me my things and I'll go!" Alanna shook her head.

"Lass, I know you want to be going home, but we can't let you go by yourself. It's dangerous for a young girl like you, without protection."

"Ha!" Mara barked harshly "I have protection. I have weapons and I can take care of myself. If you give me my guns I'll show you. And give me your best hand to hand combat fighter."

"Weapons? I didn't know you had weapons. All Alanna told me was that you had pieces of metal."

"Those are my weapons. They're called, guns, and I can kill a knight, in full armor with them." she stated. Alanna snorted.

"Yeah, right!"

"I'll prove it."

"Okay." this time Jon spoke "You can prove your weapon and you can fight someone in hand to hand combat. Alright?" Mara nodded "Then let's go."

They lead Mara down a maze of hallways until they reached the archery range.

"Will this work?" Jon inquired. Mara nodded. "Alright, then. There's a suit of knight armor down there. You need to pierce it in a way that would kill the man in it." Alanna handed Mara her gun and Mara took her stance. Bringing up the weapon, Mara knew from experience what to do. She fired six times. Each bullet tore through the metal right where the heart would be. She looked over to the king and the knight, they stood in awe, hands over their ears to drown out the gunfire.

"Wow." they said in unison. Jon cleared his throat.

"Well now, let's go find the Shang Wild Cat. Good fighter there." The three set off again. This time they entered a practice court where a middle aged woman was practicing martial arts. Mara smirked, this was going to be easy.

"Eda Bell, this is Ana-Mara Julio. She wants to fight you." Eda looked Mara up and down before finally speaking.

"You know how to fight?" she asked.

"Yup. Best in all of the U.S." at the glances she got she explained "It's the country I live in. The entire name is The United States of America. You can call it the U.S.A. for short or the U.S. or America."

"Oh. Well on with the match now. Eda play nice. I want to see her skill, fight at her level." Jon ordered.

The Wild Cat went into her fighting stance and Mara went into hers. Mara made the first move, kicking towards the woman's abdomen. Eda blocked only to feel a sharp pain at her temple as she dropped to the ground.

Alanna and Jon looked from the fallen woman to Mara and back.

"Great Goddess! That was fast!" Alanna cried, and whistled her appreciation for the speed. Now Eda started to stir.

"Gods, girl! You're unbelievable! I've never lost that fast since I first started training."

"Well, I told you I was good! Now that I've proven that I can handle myself, may I please go?" Mara said.

"No." everyone turned to the king.

"And may I ask why not?"

"Because, it's still way to dangerous and before you even think of going of like that, you should at least have a remote idea of how to get home. Do you know how to get home, even the slightest idea?"

Mara blushed and looked away. "N..no."

"Didn't think so. Now there is a ball tonight and I would like you to be there. You will be properly introduced to the court and be escorted by Raoul."

"Okay, numero uno, how do I get properly introduced? Numero dos, who is Raoul? Numero tres, do I have to wear a dress? And numero quatro, can I carry my guns?"

"You'll find out when you get there. Raoul is a knight and a dear friend of mine. No, you do not have to wear a dress, but I would like it if you did. And yes, you may carry your weapons." Jon answered back, completely unfazed by the questions.

"Great." Mara mumbled "I get to look like an idiot in front of a bunch of criticizing people.


	3. The Ball

Took a long time to write this. Anyway, hope you like it! Please review, tell me what you like, and what you don't like. I can take critisism, trust me. : )  
PureElement

Chapter 3

"Ouch! Jesus, woman! Do ya have ta pull so hard?!" Mara practically screamed at the maid who was lacing her corset.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but if it isn't tight enough the dress won't fit!" the maid said, already terrified of Mara's temper (which, amazingly, was even shorter than Alanna's). Finally, Mara stood in a maroon dress with a fairly low cut -while still being modest- with a ruby pendant hung from a string and matching earrings. A black bodice surrounded her waist. The skirt of the dress did not flare, but clung to her hips and fell gracefully. The sleeves were like those you hear about in fairy tales. They were tight around the arms and came to a point at the middle finger, connecting to the ring that lay there. She had a gun strapped to her hip as the king had said she could. She fingered her black hair, which she insisted be left alone and hanging down her back.

"You look stunning, milady." the maid whispered. Mara turned and smiled at her.

"Thank you. Oh, and I'm sorry for yelling at you so much, earlier. Um, while I'm here, would you like to be my personal maid?" she said. The young maid's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, yes, yes! I'd love that! Oh, thank you so much madam!" A knock sounded on the door. The maid, who's name is Estrell, went to open it. There stood Sir Raoul.

"Um, yes, hello. I'm here to take Lady Ana-Mara to the ball. Do you know where she is?"

"I'm right here." Mara said as she appeared at the door. Raoul's breath caught. She was the most stunningly beautiful woman he had ever seen, and that included Thayet.

"My Lady Ana-Mara, I am Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak."

"I know."

"Um, yes. Well, come on then, we don't want to be late." Mara took the offered arm as they took off for the ball room.

15 minutes later.

"Announcing, Her Majesty Queen Ana-Mara Julio of the Deadly Rose, of Los Angeles, of California, of the United States of America and Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak!" the herald called. The room went dead quiet, all people rose, even Jon and Thayet. Everyone wanted to see this foreign queen.

JON'S PERSONEL POV

I watched her walk down the stairs, the picture of perfection. She was most defiantly a queen. She held herself regally and had the air of a person used to being in command. She walked up to me, but instead of bowing or curtsying like others did, she just gave a slight nod.

"King Jonathan." she addressed me, her voice ringing throughout the ballroom.

"Queen Ana-Mara, I hope your stay here is pleasant and your standards are met well." I said back.

Then she walked away and soon found herself surrounded by young, hopeful men.

It was only a few minutes into the ball that I felt cold steel against my neck.

MARA'S POV

Mara found herself immensely bored with the young man she was speaking to now. He treated her like a court lady, not the queen of a gang. Suddenly her back started to itch and Mara tried to scratch it but ended up turning in her seat instead. What she saw brought forth the same feeling she had that last night in L.A., utter anger. Two big men were holding knives to Jon and Thayet's throats.

"Jon!" she yelled. This got peoples attention. Some woman screamed and men immediately started for the royal couple. Mara stopped them. If there was one thing she knew how to handle; it was this.

"What do you want?" Alanna asked, as Mara snuck up on the one holding Jon. She had given the gun strapped to her thigh to Raoul and had the one from her waist in her hand.

Swiftly Mara placed the barrel at the man's temple, Raoul did the same for the man holding Thayet.

"I suggest, you put that knife away, yo." she whispered into his ear. The man froze and slowly let go on his grip of the king. Raoul's man was doing the same.

Alanna and another knight, named Gary, bound their hands and set them down for questioning. The lady knight removed all spells meant to keep them from saying anything.

"Jon, may I please be the one to interrogate them?" Mara asked.

"Mara, you're not a knight and you don't work in any law enforcement at all. There are people with more experience than you." Jon told her.

"You have no idea, how much experience I have in this." she said looking away "You have _no_ idea." Her voice bore extreme sorrow, at least for one who's emotions are almost frozen.

Jon was intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"My mom and dad were killed by some people sent by Ninth Street. I was to late to save them, but was able to get some things out of the assassins. The same thing happened to my little brother, he lived though. I've had to deal with these things more than anybody in law enforcement." she said. Jon decided to let her have a go at it, but only if they could watch.

"So what's your names?" she started.

"My name's Lonen." one with blonde hair and grey eyes said "An' tha's Billy." Billy had mud brown hair and green eyes.

"I'm Queen Ana-Mara. And I'd really like to know, WHAT THE HECK YOU WERE DOING IN THERE!" Jon cringed at her voice, this lady was scary when she wanted to be.

"N..nothing, madam." Lonen said.

"NOTHING! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YOU WERE HOLDING THE KING AND QUEEN WITH KNIVES TO THEIR THROATS! YOU CALL THAT NOTHING?! NOW WHO THE HELL SENT YOU?!" At this Lonen seemed to remember that he wasn't supposed to talk, no matter how terrified he was.

"That is not for you to know, milady." he said. Mara whipped out her gun, pointing it threateningly at him.

"You tell me, or I blow your brains out."

"Pah, you can't do that. I can't believe we were actually scared of a lump of metal."

"Lump of metal huh?" Mara aimed for the floor right in front of him and pulled the trigger. Stone chips flew. Lonen looked down at the new mark, now realizing how easily he could be killed by that thing. He started to shake. "Now will you tell me?" she asked.

He nodded. "Our employer wanted this to be a warning. He said we were just to scare the court and then disappear."

"What did he look like? Did he give you a name?"

"Didn't see 'is face. But he said his name was Alex something."

"Thank you two very much." then she yelled for a guard "Take these two down to their cells." Jon, Thayet, Alanna, Raoul and Gary entered the room. Where Mara stood, white with fury.

"Good job." Alanna praised.

"It's the same thing that happened to my parents." she whispered. "The same thing. They sent a warning first and killed them the second time."

"Oh, I'm sorry Mar..." Thayet started. Mara cut her off, by shooting a round in the wall, then storming off to her room.

"She's really upset about some thing." Raoul observed, feeling very worried "I'm going to go talk to her. I have a feeling that if we don't some thing bad is going to happen."

When Raoul came to her room, he heard sobbing from inside. Opening the door carefully, he found Mara, just lying in a heap on the floor, crying her heart out. He went up to her, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Mara. I'm so sorry."


	4. A Hero?

Chapter 4 

Later that night Mara agreed to accompany to the Dining Hall. When she entered, she was greeted by clapping. Apparently news of her stunt at the ball had spread like a wildfire. She grabbed her dinner and sat down with Raoul, Gary and Alanna.

"You're a hero, you know." Alanna said, as she took a bite of her potatoes.

"Huh? I am?" Mara asked.

"Oh yeah." it was Gary that spoke this time "You saved the King and Queen. People are saying that you were sent to us by the Gods, to help us."

Mara had to laugh. "Me? A hero? Oh man, that's a good one." Her companions stared at her questioningly.

"What do you mean? You are a hero, an idol." Raoul said. Mara stopped laughing and looked down at her food sadly.

"You have no idea how wrong that is." She jumped up and ran for the door.

"Stop her!" Alanna screamed. She was worried about the girl hurting herself or others. Two squires ran and locked the heavy doors.

Mara turned and ran into the kitchen instead, leaving through the back door, as Alanna, Gary and Raoul pursued her.

An hour later, they heard gunshots coming from the archery range. When they arrived they saw, Mara firing rounds into layered wood targets. In a few seconds they heard a strange sound, looking beside them they saw a strange device that seemed to be producing the sound.

It turned into a heavy beat, and a man started singing.

_ You ready?! Let's go!_

_ Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all about_

_ It's like this y'all (c'mon!)_

_Chorus:_

_ This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill_

_ Fifteen percent concentrated power of will_

_ Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain_

_ And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!_

_ Mike! - He doesn't need his name up in lights_

_ He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic_

_ He feels so unlike everybody else, alone_

_ In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him_

_ But fuck em, he knows the code_

_ It's not about the salary_

_ It's all about reality and making some noise_

_ Making the story - making sure his clique stays up_

_ That means when he puts it down Tak's picking it up! Let's go!_

_ Who the hell is he anyway?_

_ He never really talks much_

_ Never concerned with status but still leaving them star struck_

_ Humbled through opportunities given despite the fact_

_ That many misjudge him because he makes a living from writing raps_

_ Put it together himself, now the picture connects_

_ Never asking for someone's help, or to get some respect_

_ He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach_

_ And now it all unfolds, the skill of an artist_

_ This is twenty percent skill_

_ Eighty percent beer_

_ Be a hundred percent clear cause Ryu is ill_

_ Who would've thought that he'd be the one to set the west in flames_

_ And I heard him wreck it with The Crystal Method, "Name Of The Game"_

_ Came back dropped Megadef, took em to church_

_ I like bleach man, why you had the stupidest verse?_

_ This dude is the truth, now everybody's giving him guest spots_

_ His stock's through the roof I heard he's fuckin' with S. Dot!_

_Chorus_

_ They call him Ryu, he's sick_

_ And he's spitting fire_

_ And mike got him out the dryer he's hot_

_ Found him in Fort Minor with Tak_

_ What a fuckin' nihilist porcupine_

_ He's a prick, he's a cock_

_ The type woman want to be with, and rappers hope he get shot_

_ Eight years in the making, patiently waiting to blow_

_ Now the record with Shinoda's takin over the globe_

_ He's got a partner in crime, his shit is equally dope_

_ You wont believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kid's throat_

_ Tak! - He's not your everyday on the block_

_ He knows how to work with what he's got_

_ Making his way to the top_

_ He often gets a comment on his name_

_ People keep asking him was it given at birth_

_ Or does it stand for an acronym?_

_ No he's living proof, got him rocking the booth_

_ He'll get you buzzing quicker than a shot of vodka with juice_

_ Him and his crew are known around as one of the best_

_ Dedicated to what they do and give a hundred percent_

_ Forget Mike - Nobody really knows how or why he works so hard_

_ It seems like he's never got time_

_ Because he writes every note and he writes every line_

_ And I've seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind_

_ It's like a design is written in his head every time_

_ Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme_

_ And those motherfuckers he runs with,_

_ The kids that he signed?_

_ Ridiculous, without even trying,_

_ How do they do it?!_

_Chorus - repeat 2x_

_Outro - Mike Shinoda:_

_ Yeah! Fort Minor_

_ M. Shinoda - Styles of Beyond_

_ Ryu! Takbir! Machine Shop!_

The song ended and Mara stopped firing. Alanna started walking towards her, only to freeze when Mara pointed the gun at her.

"Mara, what are you doing?" the knight asked her.

"Killing you." she moved to pull the trigger, but found, she couldn't do it. She couldn't kill Alanna. She dropped the gun and collapsed, crying. Alanna ran up to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned. She felt strong arms pull her away from Mara.

"Alanna, stay away from her, she was going to kill you!" Raoul's voice said.

"Well she obviously isn't going to now." she went back to Mara and kneeled on the ground next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder "What's wrong?"

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't pull the trigger. I can't do it anymore. For years I've prided myself on being able to kill and not give it a second thought. Now I can't even pull the god damn _trigger_!" she wailed.

"Mara, what exactly did you mean back at the Dining Hall, about not being a hero?" Raoul asked, seeing the girl no longer posed a threat.

"I'm not a hero; I'm a killer. The Queen of my gang. They followed me without question. If I told them to shoot their mother's, they'd shoot their mother's. I've killed so many people, I've done so many cruel things, that I' don't think I'm even capable of being a hero."

_Okay, need some reviews in order to continue, so click on the blue button beneath this. The song was _'Remember the Name'_ by_ Fort Minor.


	5. Not Bandits

**Okay, sorry, but there is no romance in this chapter, however there probably will be romance in the next chappie. now, onto the story!!!!**

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Chapter 5

Alanna sighed, running a hand over her face. How had this girl ended up here? Had she really done the things that she said she had? She should really even be trusting her? She got off her bed and walked over to Mara's room. She knocked quietly.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Alanna. Can I come in?" she said. Mara opened the door a crack.

"What do ya want?" she asked harshly.

"I just want to come in."

"No." Alanna looked at her suspiciously. Was she hiding something? When she asked her this, all she received was the door slammed in her face. This only confirmed what she was thinking. With magic, she undid the lock and rushed into the the room. She looked around and found Mara leaning over her desk, tracing her finger over a map. She walked up to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Without looking up the young woman responded.

"I thought that I had made it clear that I didn't want you to come in?" she looked up, her eyes hard "Leave." Alanna noticed that her speech was very clear and pure, not a hint of what the woman referred to 'Spanglish'.

She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could get the words out, Raoul burst into the room.

"Bandits," he panted "North Wall." Alanna and Mara exchanged glances before rushing off. By the time they got to wall, there was a full fledged battle. The knight drew her sword and the gang leader started firing her gun.

It was easy to tell the bandits from the Tortallan warriors. The bandits were dirty and rough looking, with crude weapons. Those from Tortall wore the uniform of the Kingdom.

Soon enough Mara ran out of ammunition. She cussed.

"Damn. Alanna! Watch my back while I reload!" The knight nodded and started fighting off those going for her. In a short amount of time Mara was back pulling the trigger. However, having not expected a battle, she had only been caring enough ammo for one reload. Luckily for her, she had started carrying some knives. So throughout the rest of the battle, she fought with those.

"I hate bandits." Alanna told her, as they sat waiting for Duke Baird.

"Those weren't bandits." Mara stated. Alanna, Raoul and all the other knights looked at her curiously.

"What?" Gary asked.

"They weren't bandits. They fought too well and not to mention, usually bandits don't attack the king's palace, where there are tons of knights, squires, the King's Own and other fighters."

"Well then, who are they?" Raoul asked.  
"I'm guessing, our mystery guy." she told them.

"You mean, the man who sent those men to the ball?" this time it was Alanna.

"Yup. My guess; he's testin' the fightin' strength that the palace has and, lots of fighters either died or got severely hurt. So in other words, our protection had been damaged, given the small crack that will eventually cause the entire thing to fall." Mara said. Once again she spoke with a Spanish accent, however no Spanglish, as she had found that they didn't understand the language mix.

"She could be knight." Raoul told Alanna and Gary.

"Yes, I know." Alanna said.

"Too bad I'm not." Mara put in. An assistant to the Duke appeared in the door.  
"Sir Alanna and Queen Ana-Mara, you may go in." he said. The two women stood and entered. Baird treated a large gash on Mara's arm and many smaller ones for her. Alanna had done most of her own healing, leaving only a small cut on her cheek. He asked her why, seeing as how she could have easily taken care of it. She smiled.

"Battle wound, proof that I fight." she told them. The Duke and Alanna laughed, but Mara just looked aside. Alanna glanced at her. "What's wrong."

"Nothing, it's just that you reminded me of something."

"What is it?"  
"Nothing, just a little scar."

"A scar? From what? Let me see." Baird demanded. Mara shrugged and lifted up the edge of her shirt, showing her right side. A long scar made it's way down it.

**oooh, a cliffie. so, where'd Mara get that scar from? who's behind the attack? now hit that review button and please tell me what you truly think of it. is it good, is it bad? tell why. thanks for reading.** **PureElement.**


	6. Water Mage

**Hi, sorry about not updating. I was reeealy busy with Karate and then I got sick. Woohoo :( (please note sarcasm, I don't _actually_ like being sick). I also apologise for the cliffie, see I was planning on updating the next day, but, as we all know, that didn't work out. Anyhow, here's the next chapter, ENJOY!!**

Chapter 6

Alanna gasped. That was no ordinary scar.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Mara whispered. Alanna grabbed he shoulder, turning the young woman to face her.

"Mara, that scar tells me about the wound, and let me tell you, it wasn't a wound that you should have lived from."

"I know, okay. I know!"

"Then tell me the story." Alanna persisted.

"Fine! It it will get you off me back!" she took a breath, cooling down her temper "I was fourteen when it happened. I had gotten into a fight with a girl from Ninth Street. I was winning, then a couple of her chicas jumped in. I forget how the fight went, but I know one of them grabbed her knife and slashed me. I only remember the pain. It took me deep inside my mind, so that I knew what was happening and what was going on, but basically, I was in a coma like state. The doctors fought to save my life, but no matter what they did, I kept falling, deeper and deeper, into the darkness.

I could hear the heart monitor, and the doctor's voices, so I knew when the continuous beeping of the monitor started to slow. It stopped, and I fell faster than ever. I screamed and I cried, not that they knew; I was dead to them. I screamed, "I don't want to die! I want to live! I don't want to die!".

Then, everything stopped. I stopped falling, I just floated in place, then I began to drift upwards. Everything now was a sparkly deep blue, no longer an empty black void. As I continued my ascent, I heard the monitor start again, that was the last thing I heard, before I fell into an unconscious sleep.

When I woke up a few days later, I was treated like royalty. I was the miracle child. The girl who had died and come back to life. Since then, I've carried this scar, and it's never failed to remind me of my death." she told the story. Baird and Alanna gaped at her, astonished. It was the elderly duke who finally broke the silence.

"You mentioned a sparkly blue." he looked over to Alanna "Is it possible that she might have the Gift?" he asked.

"Maybe, let me see. Mara give me your hand." The gang leader obeyed, holding out her hand for the knight to take. Closing her eyes, Alanna seeking out any magic. She let go with a gasp.

"What is it, Alanna?" Baird asked. She ignored him, instead she searched Mara's dark chocolate eyes with her own violet ones.

"You," she whispered "you're the Water Mage." she got up "I need to speak with Jonathan." She left, a slight smile on her face. They'd finally found her.

Mara paced her room nervously. She didn't get it. What was a water mage? And more importantly, how could she be one? She groaned and sat down on her bed.

"Nothing makes sense here." she whispered to herself. There was a knock on the door, she got begrudgingly got up to open it. There stood Jon, Alanna, Thayet, Gary, Raoul and two people whom she did not know.

"May we come in, Mara?" Jon asked hastily. He didn't want people to see their large group and suspect things. Though what they would suspect, he had no idea.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." she opened the door to all of them. Once all were inside, she pointed to the strangers "Who are they?" she asked, blatantly, not bothering to be polite.

"Mara," Jon started "This is Numair, a black robe mage. And this is Daine, an animal mage."

Mara studied the two.

"You're together, aren't ya?" she asked. They spluttered, which only caused her to know her suspicions were true.

Thayet sighed. "Yes, they're together."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that one out. Soo, why are you all here?" Mara said.

"Remember, when I mentioned a water mage?" Alanna asked. Mara nodded "Well, you see, there was a prophecy made a long time ago. It tell of Tortall's downfall, unless we find the one thing that can help us; the Water Mage. And we believe that's you."

"_Me_?" The group nodded "I don't get it. What is a water mage? Why do you think it me?" Numair stepped towards the panicked girl.

"A water mage, is a person who had control over water. They can move it and shape it to their will. They can also turn ordinary water into ice. Basically, they can control anything that has water. And based on what your magic did for you and what color it was, you are one of those people." he told her. Mara shook her head violently. She wasn't believing any of it. She wasn't a water mage. She wasn't part of a prophecy. She was just a wanted gang leader, and she wasn't going to listen to some wierd guy tell her who she was.

"I am _not_ a water mage." she whispered coldly, her temper starting to go. The room got cold, the water in the pitcher started to freeze, then exploded.

"Numair! Numair, what's going on?!" Daine half screamed, her breath turning into frost in front of her.

"She's reached maturity. Her powers have reached their full power. Her natural defense against magic crumbled when she came to our world. She no longer has control over what she does, at least not when she gets angry.

Alanna! Jon! Use your magic, try to distract her with your magic, I'll see what I can do with her power restraint." Numair told them. The room was now freezing and the cold was starting to enter the rest of the palace.

Mara shaped herself ice daggers and hurled them at Alanna and Numair. Alanna blocked them with her sword and the mage stopped them in midair with magic.

"Mara! Stop, please stop! You don't know what you're doing." Raoul said, coming up behind her. Taking a risk, he wrapped his arms around her. Because of the contact, she could have easily frozen him, instead she dropped the next round of ice she was going to throw "Mara, you have to stop. You're trying to hurt your own friends. Please stop."

Slowly the air turned warmer and the ice melted. She turned in Raoul's arms and hung her head on his shoulder as the tears started flow. Raoul's response was only to hold her tightly.

Sensing that this wasn't the best time to get Mara to understand what she was, the rest of the group left the two alone.

**Okay, next chappie is coming up reeeeal soon. Well, as soon as I'm done. Don't forget to review. PureElement**


	7. Raoul and Mara

**Alright, the seventh chapter. This has some romance! If you don't like the pairing, TO BAD!! It's my story. Oh and by the way, Rodrigous is Mara's boyfriend. The King of the Deadly Rose. Just in case you didn't remember.**

Chapter 7

(Back in L.A. -Rodrigous's P.O.V.)

I can't believe it. Mara's gone. They took her, Ninth Street took her. I'm sitting in my apartment. Everything smells of her, this was her favorite place to hang. A sparkle catches my eye. I walk towards it and pick up a sparkly blue hairband. It was Mara's. She'd dress in all black, with this one blue accessory and she was easily the most beautiful girl in the world.

I reach for my gun and bring it up to my face. Ninth Street will pay for what they did to my girl.

(Tortall)

The ball was full of the senseless chatter and giggling of court ladies. Mara rolled her eyes. She hadn't wanted to come to this stupid frilly party, but Jon and Thayet had made her. She rolled her eyes again as she looked over the garden. The view from this particular balcony was amazing.

Running steps were heard behind her and she turned, reaching for the gun that always accompanied her. She smiled when she realized that it was only Raoul. She stated this.

"Only me?!" he cried "Why my dear lady, don't you like me?"

"Of course I like you." she leaned on the balcony staring up at the quarter moon "Do you ever wonder, what it's like to be a normal person?" she asked quietly. Raoul glanced at her quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, just being a normal person. Never having killed, not having to worry about the safety of those you protect."

"I doubt that you ever protected anyone." he said. Her eyes snapped fiercely and the air got a little colder.

"I protect a _lot_ of people. I protect them from Ninth Street. My gang is my army. The streets my battlefield. Do not speak of what you do not know, Sir Raoul." her voice was chilly. Raoul looked at her.

She didn't look angry, just sad and upset. A small tear ran down her cheek, freezing because of her emotional turmoil. There it sat, sparkling like a diamond in the moonlight. His arms ached to wrap around her small form and hold her tight, protecting her from the pain she felt. He wanted to kiss away her worries, wanted her to be happy.

He shook his head. Where were these thoughts coming from? He looked at her again, more frozen tears sat on her face this time. He couldn't stand seeing her like this anymore. He stepped over to her and gathered her into his arms. She fell into him, burying her face in his chest.

Gradually the tears melted and ran down the rest of her face, leaving their damp trail. He leaned down and kissed them away. He kissed her lips, surprised when she kissed back. She broke away and smiled, taking his hand she led him down to the garden.

They stopped and she leaned into him.

"I'm sorry." she whispered "I'm sorry, for everything I've done."

"It's okay." he whispered back, then reached over to the rose bush next to them, snapping the stem of one of the flowers. He offered it to her "Every rose has it's thorns." She laughed lightly.

"I think this is the most romantic thing that's ever happened to me." she told him. He raised his eyebrow.

"Really?" he leaned down "I think that it would be this." He kissed her passionately. She kissed back with just as much fervor. His arms wrapped around her waist as they continued, bringing her closer. They broke apart, both gulping for air.

She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the knight had once again claimed it.

"Mara! Raoul!" someone shouted from a distance. Mara's eyes shot open, suddenly coming to her senses. She put her hand on Raoul's chest and gave him a little push.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't do this." she said.

"Why not?"

"Because! I have a boyfriend at home. One that I was perfectly happy with! Then I fall into this freaky alternate universe thing and meet _you_, and all of a sudden my world is upside down."

"I don't understand. What's the problem?"

"The problem," she screamed, then cooled down "is that I love you." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek then ran off.

Raoul stared after her.

"I love you too, Mara. But I know I can't have you." he whispered into the breeze. He picked up the rose that had been dropped during the kissing "I can't have you."

**Okay, hope you enjoyed. Oh, before I forget. I'm going to be changing the title, but I don't know what title. So I'm going to hold a contest. Send me your title ideas, then in four days, I'm going to post them and you get to vote on them. Here are the instructions...**

**Go to my profile and find my e-mail, then send me the e-mail with the subject of 'Story Title'. Then in four days, look at the title ideas and vote. Vote by sending me an e-mail with the subject of 'Title Vote'. Today is Febuary 2nd, so I'll be posting the ideas on the 6th. PureElement.  
**


	8. The Bloody Rose

**Hi everyone! Here's the new chapter.**

Chapter 8

Mara ran from the garden. Ran from the lust and the love. She couldn't want Raoul. She couldn't. She had a man at home. A man she needed to get back to. She reached her room and walked in, heels clicking on the stone floor.

She paced the length of the room. Then stopped at her rarely used vanity. An engraved silver-back mirror lay there. She reached down and grasped it, her fingers curling slowly around the handle. Looking into it, her reflection stared back.

Numair had been teaching her magic and had told her once about how to scry using a mirror. She wondered if she could do it. Slowly she spoke Rodrigous's name, concentrating on her magic. The mirror began to swirl with her blue magic, then stopped, revealing a picture.

_Rodrigous had the leader of Ninth Street by the throat. The rest of the Deadly Rose had the other gang members with knives at their throats, whispering merciless threats into their ears._

"_What did you to with Mara?" Rodrigous asked coldly._

"_I don't know what you're talking about!" the other man gasped, struggling against the hand the pinned him against the wall. Rodrigous slammed his head back._

"_Yes, you do!" he screamed in fury._

"_No. I really don't!" The man choked as Rodrigous's hand closed around his throat tighter._

"_You do! Now tell me!" Getting no answer from the now dying man, he slit the vein on his neck, not caring about the blood that poured over his hand. He let go, allowing the gang leader to slump to the floor, eyes open in shock and death. He squatted next to the body, cleaning the blood off his knife._

"_By the way, it's The Bloody Rose now. In honor of my girl." he got up again, kicking the corpse in the stomach as he did "Bastard." he spat._

Mara pulled back with a gasp, losing concentration, causing the scene to leave glass.

"The Bloody Rose." she whispered "Oh, Rodrigous."

She walked into her washroom to change for bed. Ridding herself of the tight bodice and heavy skirts was heaven for her. It was a warm spring night and so she just pulled on one of her longer tunics and slipped under her cover, falling asleep moments later.

It was the banging on the door that woke her the next morning. With a groan she got up to answer it. It was Raoul. He blushed her see her in her current state of dress. The tunic left nothing to the imagination. She rubbed her eyes groggily, unaware of her friend's (ahem) feelings.

"Wha' is it?" she asked grumpily, accent thick. Raoul coughed.

"Ehh, Numair wants to see you for mage training."

"This early? No way! I'm going back to bed." she turned and started to walk away. Raoul however had different plans in mind. He caught her shoulder and spun her around, bringing her to his chest. He stared at her for a small moment, then kissed her heavily. They broke apart a while later.

"Thought you could use the wake up." he said, then blushed a deep red, muttered an apology and ran off. Mara smiled and shook her head a bit. He was right, the kiss _had_ woken her up.

"Well, after that I'm not going to get any sleep. Might as well get dressed." Stepping back into the room she closed the door and went to get dressed.

Soon after arriving in Tortall, Mara had discovered that whatever she wanted from her world appeared, everything except for living things. It was how she kept herself in ammunition and her feminine necessitates; and her favorite underwear.

Right now she wished for her black cargo pants along with her black baby tee that read 'I HIT BACK' in big bold white lettering with a picture of a fist underneath it. She also wished for her dark red converse sneakers. She looked in the mirror, studying how she looked.

Mara wasn't vain, but she took pride in how she looked. And right now, she looked pretty damn hot! She sighed and pulled her hair into a high ponytail, giving her look a dangerous, don't mess with me, attitude.

"Alright Numair, give me your worst." She grabbed a bottle of Tylenol and stuck a few of the pills in her pocket, they were for later, when she dueled Alanna. She grimaced at the thought, then walked out, intent on giving as many bruises as she would receive.

**Alright. I need title ideas people!! So please send them. Instructions are in the last chapter. I also need reviews. Seriously. Okay, if you don't review, I won't post. Hate to do it, but I have to. Sorry. Anyone who reviews will get thanked in my next chapter. PureElement**


	9. AN Author

Alright, hi people. Just to tell you, the title contest deadline has been postponed till the 10th so, if you have a title idea, please contact me. My e-mail is on my profile.

Please people!! I _really_ need title ideas!

PureElement

_Teaser for the next chapter._

"_Numair, do I really have to do that?" Mara groaned. The mage wanted her to create a huge wave of water, and direct it so that it swamped an army of dummies._

"_Yes, you really do." _

_Mara pouted, crossing her arms over her chest._

"_Fine. Show me what to do."_

_Numair started showing her how to move her hands in the correct drawing motion. Suddenly an arrow hit him in his shoulder. He hissed and grabbed it. _

_A deep chuckle emitted behind her. Mara spun around and was faced by a large man._

"_Shit." she whispered._

"_Sorry sweetie, but practice is over."_

_So, what happens? Will Mara get away? Don't forget the new rule, you don't review, I don't post. So review!! Please (gives puppy eyes -they're irresistible-)._


	10. Another AN

Hi everyone. I'm thinking of discontinuing this story. It's just not working out the way I hoped. And being a writer, I know that some story's just don't work.

If you don't want me to stop, then I'll keep going. If I do continue, it _will_ be put on hold for a while.

I'm thinking of starting a story for _Pirates of the Caribbean_. If I do, I will tell you in _Last Thoughts_.

PureElement


	11. All My Fault

**I decided not to be cruel and to post the next two chapters (you might have to wait a little while though for the second). I'm really sorry for the cliffy! Hope you like!!**

Chapter 9

"Numair, do I really have to do that?" Mara groaned. The mage wanted her to create a huge wave of water, and direct it so that it swamped an army of dummies.

"Yes, you really do."

Mara pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine. Show me what to do."

Numair started showing her how to move her hands in the correct drawing motion. Suddenly an arrow hit him in his shoulder. He hissed and grabbed it.

A deep chuckle emitted behind her. Mara spun around and was faced by a large man.

"Shit." she whispered.

"Sorry sweetie, but practice is over."

Mara slowly backed up. This man, was the first in a long time to actually scare her. He had black hair and his eyes were like into the depths of an ocean.

"Wh, who are you?" she stuttered as she continued backing up as he advanced on her. He let out a low laugh.

"That's not any of your business is it, sweetie."

"Mara!" Numair called to her with the last of his strength "Use your magic!"

She obeyed the order, trying to summon up the water that lay before her. It was a pond, so she wouldn't be short on it. Lifting her hands, she tried to create a stream of water. It didn't work.

"I can't! I'm not strong enough!" she cried.

"Mara, you can do it. You know you can. Remember yourself, Mara." he said, voice hoarse as he lost his strength. His head lolled to the side.

"Numair!" Mara rushed to his side, forgetting all about their attacker. That is, until she felt a strong hand clamp down on her shoulder.

"Lets go girl."

Her head snapped up, her hands started to glow the dark blue of her magic.

"No." she whispered.

"What was that?" he demanded, voice gruff.

"No." She stood as the water in the pond started to grow restless, acting as it would in a storm. She drew some water to her. She was angry again.

She froze the water into a large ball and sent it flying towards him. When it was a few feet in front of him, she brought her arms together then swung one up and one down. The move caused the ball to turn into six ice spears. They pinned him to the wall.

After freezing his feet and gloved hands, she contacted Alanna. The grumpy knight's voice emitted from the blue ball of flame.

"What is it?"

"Alanna, I need you to come out to the pond behind the back of the castle, right now." Mara told her urgently.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Numair and I were attacked and he's wounded."

"We'll be right there. How bad is he." Alanna asked.

"He's currently unconscious, he lost a lot of blood."

"Do you have your attacker?"

"Heck yeah! Do you think I'd let someone like that get away?"

"No. You just try to keep Numair from bleeding too much more. We'll be there in minutes."

Mara felt the magic connection break and let her own magic go. She walked over to mage and kneeled next to him.

"This is my fault."

**Hope you like it!**  



	12. Wolf's Howl

**Hi everybody. This is the next chapter.**

Chapter 10

The sound of rushing footsteps reached her sensitive ears. She turned to see everyone run in. Daine gasped and skidded to a stop, it hurt her to see Numair like he was.

"Goddess save us." Raoul whispered, making the sign against evil on his chest. He then looked over at Mara. She was shaking violently, looking over the pond. He walked over and set his hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes snapped to him and she pulled away harshly "What's wrong, Mara?"

She glared at him, then drove a punch into his gut. He wheezed and doubled over.

"You're not real!" she screamed at him. By now Alanna had taken care of any immediate problems and was handing Numair over to Baird. She saw Mara hit Raoul.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this? What are you thinking, Mara?!" she yelled. Mara punched her too, only in the face. The knight stumbled back a bit, holding a hand over one of her eyes.

"You're not real! Nothing here is real! I wasn't supposed to end up here! You're not real! Magic isn't real! Female knights never existed! And I'm no MAGE!!" With that she ran away. Ran from the palace, the comfort and warmth she had been welcomed with. Ran from the man she loved. Ran from her magic and her power. She ran till she could run no longer.

She collapsed onto her stomach, exhausted. After a few minutes of calming her racing heart she rolled over onto her back in a way to find out where she was. She found that she stared up at the dark, rich color of pines and the light summery color of oaks and maples. Her running had brought her into the Royal Forest. She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth, tears running in an unstoppable torrent.

"I don't understand." she whispered "I shouldn't be here. It's not a world I belong in. I'm not even sure it's a world. Something's wrong. I'm supposed to be dead." A cold wind blew causing the the branches of the trees to rattle and creak. It was growing dark and she would never find her way back to the palace. She shuddered. She didn't know the animals here. She didn't know anything here. For the first time in a long time she was afraid. Letting go of her legs, she laid down on the leaf covered ground and cried harder. It wasn't long before her tired mind and body took her into sleep.

She woke with a start as she noticed a pair of pale yellow eyes staring at her. Mara's stomach turned in fear until she noticed that the creatures stare was gentle and soft not harsh and hungry. After a moment the eyes moved forward as a large white wolf moved out of the darkness. She drew in a sharp breath. This was the most beautiful creature she'd seen in long time.

The wolf continued to bore into her dark eyes with it's own shining ones. It then lifted it's white muzzle to the moon. The howl was haunting. Full of sorrow and joy, tears and smiles. Mara sat up and she too brought her face up to night sky, holding her arms out as though to embrace the cold darkness. More howls joined the white one's song. It was was amazing, never before had she felt so free.

As the howl ended she looked back down, coming once again face to face with the wolf.. For a moment, Mara could swear that the wolf's eyes were vibrant emerald green. Then, she didn't know if she had blinked or if it just disappeared, but the wolf was gone.

Slowly she laid back down, her mind in a complete state of calm. She gently shut her eyes as she once again slipped into blissful oblivion.

"_Sleep well my daughter. Sleep well."_

**Okay, the wolf thing was actually based on something that happened to my dad, so that's where I got that idea from. And yes, the wolf was the Goddess. Remember how she got transported in a silver mist? Uh huh. I thought so. Anyway, hope you liked it! Don't forget to review!! Please. (gives puppy dog eyes -they're irriesistable-) PureElement  
**

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_


	13. Dead

**Well, here's the next chapter!! Sry that it took so long!! Hope you like it! **

Chapter 11

_I woke to gray. The somber color surrounded me. I slowly sat up and reached out a hand, stretching it out into the nothingness. The fog started to slowly become thinner, disappearing more as I reached farther. By the time I was done it was thin enough for me to see my surroundings. I was in a graveyard. _

_A screech startled me, making me jump and look around frantically before I realized that it was just an old crow, sitting on the tombstone next to me. I stared at it, enthralled by it's beady eyes, that seemed to hold so many secrets. _

_Slowly I got onto my knees and stood up. I winced as pain shot up my legs and into my back. Every part of me seemed to hurt. I started to walk around the graveyard, in the hopes that I would find a gate. The farther I walked, the more everything got familiar._

_Then I froze. I knew this graveyard! This was where my dad and brother were buried! That meant I was in my world!_

_A sob came from a ways to my right. I walked towards it, only to freeze again. My mother was crouched in front of me, crying. The tombstone she sat in front of was neither my father's nor my brother's, I decided it must belong to an aunt or uncle._

_Seeing my mom in such distress I decided to comfort her. I walked closer._

"_Mom? Are you all right?" I whispered. She looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears._

"_Mara? My baby! Are you there?!" I stared at her, something was very wrong._

"_Yes, Mom. I'm here." I told her affectionately. She just drew back and shook her head._

"_I'm going crazy. I'm hearing my dead daughter." She said softly. My stomach dropped. Dead?_

"_Mom! I'm right in front of you! I'm not dead!" I yelled at her. She looked right at me, she just didn't _see_ me._

_I crouched down next to her and placed my hand over her heart. Subconsciously she placed her own hand on her heart, going straight through mine. I drew back with a sharp breath._

_Then she got up and left, tears once again spilling down her cheeks. That was when I looked at the tombstone._

Ana-Mara Julio

Beloved daughter and sister

December 1st ,1989

-

June 22nd ,2006

_I gasped, pain searing in my breast. I couldn't stand it. I dropped to the ground, sobbing. I _was_ dead. I really was. Suddenly the world started spinning and I spun with it, being flung into the stones and trees around me. I cried and whimpered in pain, then I knew no more._

"Mara. Mara, dear, wake up. Sweetie, you need to wake up." A familiar voice whispered urgently. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt so heavy, it would be easier just to leave them closed and go to sleep. I was so tired.

But then another voice came.

"Her pulse is changing! She's waking up! Quick get Baird!"The sounds of hurried footsteps and movements attacked my sensitive ears and I let out a low groan.

"Mara! Mara, wake up! Come on, open your eyes!" That voice, it sounded so familiar, but whose voice was it? An angry, more feminine voice started yelling.

"Raoul, get your lazy arse out of that chair right now! Your in the way!"

Raoul! So that's who was calling to me! I struggled to open my eyes, I had to see him. I had to see Raoul. I had no idea why, but I just had to.

"Alanna, I just want to be here for her! Now quite yelling at me and help her!" Raoul's angry voice caused a stir in my heart. Did he really care for me that much?

"Raoul." The name escaped my lips.

Raoul's POV

I just wanted her to wake up and be fine. I wanted her to laugh and live with us in peace. I knew that she'd done things she wasn't proud of, but that didn't mean she had to live in constant pain because of it.

When she spoke my name, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. I immediately knelt by her side and offered her my hand, giving her something to hold on to and to give her strength. And no matter what, it would always be there.

Mara's POV

I felt him give me his hand, I took it and held onto it as though it were my life. Slowly my eyes started to open, and I found myself staring into a deep brown. Much like the first time I woke here.

A drop of hot liquid hit my cheek and I saw that Raoul's eyes were watering, soon I found myself crying as well.

However soon my gentle tears gave way to harsh sobbing. Everyone's eyes were on me, but I was only focused on the man before me, as I whispered my next words.

"I'm dead."

**There. Please review and tell me what you think!! If you find any grammer mistakes or anything like that, please, don't hesitate to tell me! If you don't like the story, then please tell me, put please include why you don't like it**

**Thank you! PureElement**


	14. AN SORRY!

**Hi everyone! Umm, yeah, I got some bad news. I'm going to stop writing this story. I'm really sorry for all you fans out there, but this story just isn't working. If you'd like to adopt this story, then please e-mail me and tell me.**

**I will keep the story up on fanfiction but I will not be updating it. Once again, I'm sorry!!**

**PureElement**

**P.S. I believe I will be starting a new story thought for Naruto, so if any of you watch that, check it out!**


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